This research report reviews the basics of pulse code modulation (PCM) techniques and includes a special encoder design for a system which uses a laser diode output for the transmitted pulse. The text discusses PCM and its features, PCM formats, synchronization, and various accepted PCM codes. The encode circuit design is complete with a description of the circuit, circuit components, and operation. Included are the necessary diagrams, figures, specifications, and parts list. The transmitted output of the design circuit has a repetition rate of one megabit per second.

This report presents an initial design effort for a high-speed, constant Frequency data extractor, which can be used to identify and track a particular constant frequency signal in the presence of other signals. Several factors must be included in the design considerations. The detection and acquisition of the correct signal should be accomplished at high speed to remain as close as possible to real time. Once detection has occurred, the system should generate a track-predict gate signal that enables the input line only when the real input pulse is expected. If track is lost, which happens whenever the track-predict gate and input pulse do not occur simultaneously, the initial detection method must be re-entered. The detectable frequency should be selectable over a wide range of values. Furthermore, the system should be able to detect and acquire the desired signal in the presence of large numbers of interfering signals, yet be flexible enough to adapt easily to other pulse modulation methods. Because of the above design factors as well as speed, size, and cost, a high-speed bipolar microprocessor was selected for this system implementation. A microprocessor allows most of the detection and acquisition to be accomplished in the software, thus making the system very adaptable to the host system's requirements.

With the recent resurgence of interest in double negative (DNG) materials and the reported construction of a metamaterial with DNG characteristics, applications of these materials become feasible and examination of the behavior of systems and devices a potentially fruitful topic. The most promising area of research, upon inquiry into past work related to DNG materials, proves to be dielectric waveguides. The present investigation, then, focuses on the inclusion of DNG materials in various planar dielectric waveguide configurations. These waveguides involve a core region surrounded by various numbers of symmetrically-placed cladding layers. The present investigation involves the review of the electromagnetic properties of DNG materials by a thorough analysis based on Maxwell's equations. The use of a negative index of refraction for these materials is justified. These results are then used to perform a frequency domain analysis of an N-layer formulation for dielectric waveguides which is general for any combination of DNG and double positive (DPS) materials. This N-layer formulation allows for the derivation of the characteristic equation, which relates the operating frequency and the propagation constant solutions, along with the cutoff conditions and field distributions. A causal material model which obeys the Kramers-Kronig relations and which is based on measurements of a realized metamaterial is studied and used in the investigation in order to produce realistic results. The N-layer formulation is then applied to the three-layer (slab) waveguide and known results are reviewed. A new interpretation of intramodal degeneracy is given, whereby degenerate modes are split into two separate modes, one with positive phase velocity and one with negative phase velocity but both with a causal positive group (energy) velocity. Next, the formulation is applied to the five-layer waveguide. New behaviors are observed in this case which are not seen for the three-layer waveguide, including the return of the fundamental mode in some cases, whereas it is never present for the three-layer guide, the absence of certain higher-order modes in some situations and the appearance of new modes. Additionally, for some configurations the order of the even and odd modes in the DNG frequency range is found to be reversed from that of conventional waveguides. The photonic crystal waveguide, which involves an infinite number of periodically placed cladding layers, is next studied using ray analysis, and a slight variation of the N-layer formulation is used to compare these results with those of the pseudo-photonic crystal waveguide. The pseudo-photonic crystal waveguide is identical to the photonic crystal waveguide with the exception that it has only large but finite number of layers. It is seen that the results of these two cases are similar for conventional modes, but the photonic crystal waveguide allows for new modes called photonic crystal modes which are inaccessible through conventional waveguides. Interesting phenomena such as mode crossings among the photonic crystal modes are observed and discussed. Using the results from the frequency domain analysis of the five-layer waveguide, a Fourier transform technique is used to study pulse propagation in a waveguide containing DNG materials. A Gaussian pulse is launched in the waveguide over the frequency range covering a portion of the positive- and negative-phase-velocity fundamental transverse electric (TE) modes. Splitting of the input pulse into two separate pulses is observed, where both of these new pulses have a causal, positive energy velocity. The interpretation of intramodal degeneracy given in previous discussions is buttressed with evidence from this portion of the investigation, thus completing the analysis and bringing the present study to its conclusion. / Ph. D.

This dissertation addresses several key issues related to high-frequency soft-switching PWM three-phase power converters. These are: 1. Analysis, synthesis, and design of three-phase soft-switching PWM power converter topologies 2. Design of input EMI filters for three-phase converters 3. Design of microprocessor controllers for three-phase converters. An analysis of existing soft-switching PWM techniques is performed, and two generalized soft-switching PWM converter circuit representations are derived. Based on these representations and common topological properties of three-phase and dc-dc PWM converters, two new procedures for synthesis of three-phase soft-switching PWM converters are derived. The two procedures are used to synthesize five new three-phase soft-switching PWM converter topologies suitable for wide range of applications. A digital signal processor-based controller implementation example is presented. It demonstrates the feasibility of producing versatile, high performance, reliable, low-cost digital controllers for soft-switching PWM three-phase power converters operating at high switching frequencies. A new approach to the design of input filters for ac power electronic circuits is presented here. This approach is based on the application of a vast body of knowledge about passive L-C filters that has existed for many years, but has not been used in power electronics. New passive and active filter pole damping schemes are applied to high-order elliptic filters, resulting in significant filter size reduction compared to the standard filter designs. / Ph. D.

Sediment pulses are defined as large amounts of loose sediment that are suddenly deposited in river corridors due to the action of external factors or processes of natural or anthropogenic origin. Such factors and processes include landslides, debris flows from tributaries, volcanic eruptions, dam removal projects, and mining-related activities. Their occurrence is associated with a surplus in sediment load to downstream reaches, and therefore, with severe channel aggradation and degradation, significant floodplain deposition, increase in flood frequency, damage of infrastructure, and impairment of aquatic habitats. The main objective of this research is to develop a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that govern the propagation of these sediment-flow hazards in alluvial sand-bed rivers. Specifically, the study presented herein is divided into three separate parts to achieve this overarching goal. First, a component intended to improve the numerical modeling of morphodynamic processes in alluvial sand-bed rivers by proposing a novel solution methodology that applies either the decoupled or the coupled modeling approach based on local flow and sediment transport conditions. Secondly, a detailed numerical analysis to characterize the behavior of fine-grained sediment pulses (i.e. composed of granular material in the sand size range) in alluvial sand-bed rives by identifying the properties of these types of pulses, as well as the characteristics of riverine environments, that are most relevant to their downstream migration. And lastly, a case study application to assess the effect of the magnitude, duration, and frequency of severe hydrologic events on the overall propagation behavior of fine-grained sediment pulses in alluvial sand-bed rivers. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute towards reducing the uncertainty associated with the impact of these phenomena, and hence, improving the resilience of rivers corridors. / Ph. D.

Pulse detonation combustion has been of interest for many years since it offers several advantages over standard deflagrative combustion. In theory, detonative combustion is a better use of fuel compared to deflagrative combustion since less entropy is generated during a detonation. As a result, detonation offers higher pressure and temperature gain across the wave front compared to the comparable deflagration. Since a detonation is a supersonic event which uses a shock to compress and dissociate reactants, a Pulse Detonation Combustor (PDC) is a relatively simple device that does not necessarily require a large compressor section at the inlet. Despite these benefits, using a turbine to extract work from a PDC is a problem littered with technical challenges. A PDC necessarily operates cyclically, producing highly transient pressure and temperature fields. This cyclic operation presents concerns with regards to turbine reliability and effective work extraction. The research presented here investigated the implementation of a pulse detonation diffuser, a device intended to temporally and spatially distribute the energy produced during a detonation pulse. This device would be an inert extension from a baseline PDC, manipulating the decaying detonation front while minimizing entropy production. A diffuser will seek to elongate, steady, attenuate, and maintain the quality of energy contained in the exhaust of a detonation pulse. These functions intend to reduce stresses introduced to a turbine and aid in effective work extraction. The goal of this research was to design, implement, and evaluate such a diffuser using the using conventional analysis and simulated and physical experimentation. Diffuser concepts using various wave dynamic mechanisms were generated. Analytical models were developed to estimate basic timing and wave attenuation parameters for a given design. These models served to inform the detail design process, providing an idea for geometric scale for a diffuser. Designs were simulated in ANSYS Fluent. The simulated performance of each diffuser was measured using metrics quantifying the wave attenuation, pulse elongation, pulse steadying, and entropy generation for each design. The most promising diffuser was fabricated and tested using a detonation tube. Diffuser performance was compared against analytical and computational models using dynamic pressure transducer diagnostics. / Master of Science

Recent severe weather research has examined the potential role of total lightning patterns in the severe thunderstorm warning-decision process although none to-date have examined these patterns in explicitly weak-shear environments. Total lightning flashes detected by the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN) during the 2012-13 convective seasons (1 May – 31 August) over a region of the Central Appalachian Mountains were clustered into likely discrete thunderstorms and subsequently classified as either single-cell or multicell/supercell storm modes. The classification of storms was determined using a storm index (SI) which was informed by current National Weather Service (NWS) identification techniques. The 36 days meeting the minimum threshold of lightning activity were divided into 24 lightning-defined (LD) single-cell thunderstorm days and 12 LD multicell/supercell days. LD single-cell days possessed statistically significant lower 0000 UTC 0-6 km wind shear (13.8 knots) than LD multicell/supercell days (26.5 knots) consistent with traditional expectations of single-cell and multicell/supercell environments respectively. The popular 2σ total lightning jump algorithm was applied to all flashes associated with 470 individual LD thunderstorms. The frequencies of the storms’ total lightning jumps were then compared against any associated severe weather reports as an accuracy assessment. The overall performance of the algorithm among both categories was much poorer than in previous studies. While probability of detections (POD) of the 2σ algorithm were comparable to previous research, false alarm rates (FAR) were much greater than previously documented. Given these results, the 2σ algorithm does not appear fit for operational use in a weak shear environment. / Master of Science

Multi-pulse transformer/rectifier systems are becoming increasingly popular in power distribution systems. These topologies can be found in aircraft power systems, motor drives, and other applications that require low total harmonic distortion (THD) of the input line current. This increase in the use of multi-pulse transformer topologies has led to the need to study large systems composed of said units and their interactions within the system. There is also an interest in developing small-signal models so that stability issues can be studied. This thesis presents a procedure for the average model of multi-pulse transformer/rectifier topologies. The dq rotating reference frame was used to develop the average model and parameter estimation is incorporated through the use of polynomial fits. The average model is composed of nonlinear dependent sources and linear passive components. A direct benefit from this approach is a reduction in simulation time by two orders of magnitude. The average model concept demonstrates that it accurately predicts the dynamics of the system being studied. In particular, two specific topologies are studied, the 12-pulse hexagon transformer/rectifier (hex t/r) and the 18-pulse autotransformer rectifier unit (ATRU). In both cases, detailed switching model results are used to verify the operation of the average model. In the case of the hex t/r, the average model is further validated with experimental data from an 11 kVA prototype. The hex t/r output impedance, obtained from the linearized average model, has also been verified experimentally. / Master of Science

Ultra-wideband (UWB) communication systems are highly promising because of their capabilities for high data rate information transmission with low power consumption and low interference and their immunity to multipath fading. More importantly, they have the potential to relieve the "spectrum drought" caused by the explosion of wireless systems in the past decade by operating in the same bands as existing narrowband systems. With the extremely large bandwidth of UWB signals, we need to revisit UWB channel modeling. Specifically we need to verify whether or not the traditional tap-line delay channel model is still applicable to UWB. One essential task involved in channel modeling is deconvolving the channel impulse response from the measurement data. Both frequency domain and time domain techniques were studied in this work. After a comparison, we examined a time domain technique known as the CLEAN algorithm for our channel modeling analysis. A detailed analysis of the CLEAN algorithm is given, as it is found that it is sufficient for our application. The impact of per-path pulse distortion due to various mechanisms on the tap-delay line channel model is discussed. It is shown that with cautious interpretation of the channel impulse response, the tap-line delay channel model is still applicable to UWB. / Master of Science

Yes / This paper proposes a formal methodology to analyse bio-systems, in particular synthetic biology systems. An integrative analysis perspective combining different model checking approaches based on different property categories is provided. The methodology is applied to the synthetic pulse generator system and several verification experiments are carried out to demonstrate the use of our approach to formally analyse various aspects of synthetic biology systems. / EPSRC